Kosovo’s Constitutional Court ruled on Monday night that the vote by Etem Arifi’s, an MP, which helped to form the Government led by Prime Minister Avdulah Hoti, was invalid and ordered early parliamentary elections within 40 days.

The decision said to be taken unanimously accepted the appeal of the Self-Determination Movement, the most considerable opposition and former ruling party.

The ruling said the court followed the Constitution of Kosovo and the Law on General Elections, stipulating that a person convicted by a final court verdict in the last three years could not be a candidate for a deputy or hold a valid mandate in Kosovo’s Parliament.

The Constitutional Court ruled that Kosovo’s Parliament decision of June 3, 2020, when the current cabinet was elected, was not under the Constitution, because the Government did not get the majority of votes of all deputies, and ordered the President to call early elections for not later than 40 days.

The verdict has no retroactive effect to Hoti’s decisions. They remain in force, and the Government remains in office until the election of a new cabinet.